As Johnny Arreola writhed on the mat with pain coursing through his left shoulder, the Riverside La Sierra High standout hoped for the best, but couldn’t help fearing the worst.

Arreola lost his 126-pound title that Jan. 9 evening by injury retirement after suffering a separated shoulder in the finals of the Riverside County Championships. But the thought of losing the rest of his senior season was a bigger worry.

“I was really afraid that it was going to be something big,” Arreola said. “I was hoping it wouldn’t keep me out too long.”

Thanks to three weeks of intensive rehab, Arreola will wrestle this postseason as he looks to build on last year’s CIF-SS Inland Division title, runner-up finish at the CIF-SS Masters meet and first-ever state appearance.

He will wear a brace on the mat that limits the shoulder joint’s range of motion to prevent it from separating again during a match.

The jet black, form-fitting apparatus that covers more than half of his upper torso will telegraph his liability to opponents, but Eagles coach Jose Pineda says that won’t matter.

“He’s going to do his damage; he’s still going to go through Masters and state,” Pineda said. “He’s just a hard kid to beat, even if people do think he’s vulnerable or he has something that’s gonna hinder his way of getting there.”

It certainly didn’t hinder him in his return to action Jan. 30 at the River Valley League finals, where he claimed the 126-pound title with little difficulty.

Arreola knows it will get much more difficult, starting with his Inland Division title defense Feb. 19-20 at Temecula Valley High.

Arreola is still ranked No.8 in the state at 126 by The California Wrestler, the highest ranking for an Inland Empire wrestler at that weight. He’ll be up against tough competition at Masters in San Marino’s Zander Wick, Covina Northview’s Richard Casillas, Riverside King’s Adrian Salgado and Perris Citrus Hill’s Norberto Buenrostro.

But Arreola’s main goal this year is to not only to return to the state meet March 5-6 in Bakersfield, but to make more of his final opportunity there.

“I think I’ll see it differently and be more prepared for it,” said Arreola, who went 0-2 at state. “I won’t hesitate so much, and I think I’ll be on top of my game and ready to wrestle. I’ll just have fun with it.”

Arreola’s rise to become one of the most feared area wrestlers started when he was a seventh-grader tagging along with his older brother, Angel, to La Sierra wrestling practices.

Even then, Pineda could clearly see Arreola’s potential, as he was already beating high school wrestlers and soaking up knowledge like a sponge.

A key to his development, Arreola said, has been learning to control the pace of matches and wait for his opponents to present an opportunity to strike rather than forcing the action himself.

When his shoulder gave out, Arreola got a harsh reminder that there are some setbacks you can’t control, but how you react to them makes all the difference.

“I just kept working and working, trying to get back to normal,” said Arreola, who thanks his doctors at Riverside Sports Clinic and Brockton Physical Therapy. “I’m just trying to do the best I can this year.”

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